Laurier creates post to help students and campus deal with mental health issues

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WATERLOO — Adrienne Luft sees hope in Wilfrid Laurier University students talking openly about mental illness and feeling it’s all right to reach out for help.

Misconceptions about mental health issues are beginning to fade among the young adults on the campus and she wants to build on that growing understanding in her new role at Laurier.

“We have a road to go, but there’s certainly a lot of energy and good vibes in terms of talking about mental health on campus,” Luft said.

Her post as mental health/student support team leader — rare on Canadian campuses, with Laurier being one of just three — ranges from working with individual students to the whole institution.

She’ll meet with students one-on-one to connect them with support needed for mental health and academic challenges, as well work to shape the university’s mental health strategy.

“It’s important as an institution that we show leadership, to show that it’s OK to talk about mental health,” she said.

Since starting in mid-August, Luft has seen great interest in what she’s doing, both among students looking for guidance as well as those who want to lend a hand.

A recent campus event on suicide prevention was packed. Already, about 50 students have signed up for peer-to-peer anti-stigma groups, and more keep coming forward. The student volunteers will organize public education events and serve as advisers.

“I’ve been positively overwhelmed with the amount of support,” said Luft, who has a master’s in social work and was previously a disability consultant at Laurier.

She finds the interest and openness encouraging: “The safer everyone feels to discuss that, the more likely they are to reach out.”

Part of her role is to implement a $40,000 grant the university got this fall from the Bell Let’s Talk Community Fund, which hands out money annually to improve access to mental health care and make a positive community impact.

The grant will go toward a mental health education and awareness training program for faculty, staff and students to recognize the signs of mental illness. Other initiatives include the peer-based program, expanding the resource library, creating an anti-stigma video featuring Laurier students that can be shown during orientation events and joining a U.S.-based research study on campus mental health.

There is a great need to address the issue on campus, Luft said. Laurier has seen a growing demand for services, such as counselling and health care.

Students can come directly or be referred to Luft and she’ll link them to resources, both on campus and in the community, if more support is needed. That will also spare them having to tell their story repeatedly or give up out of frustration.

“We don’t want students to feel they’re in a position where they don’t have anywhere to turn,” Luft said.

She hopes a culture of compassion and openness on campus will make students feel safe to seek help before hitting a crisis. Consequences of neglected mental illness can become serious — a student’s academics and campus involvement suffer, which can lead to a loss of hope and even thoughts of self-harm.

People with mental illness do face challenges, but Luft said they’re also strong and capable — and that’s becoming better appreciated as misconceptions fall away.

“ … People have so many strengths and mental illness doesn’t characterize you as a person,” Luft said. “I see a lot of courage in the students coming to my door.”